Serbian court extends detention of 12 suspects over station collapse

BELGRADE, Serbia (AFP) – A Serbian court said on Saturday that it had ordered 10 people, including a former minister, to be detained for up to 30 days and two others to be placed under house arrest over the deadly train station crash.

On November 1, 15 people died at the station in Novi Sad when the concrete roof collapsed following extensive renovations at the facility.

Public anger at the tragedy led to regular protests across the country, with many blaming the deaths on corruption and inadequate oversight of construction projects.

The Supreme Court in the northern city said former Construction Minister Goran Vesic and former director of Serbian Railway Infrastructure Nebojsa Surlan were suspected of “a criminal offense against public security”.

The other eight suspects were charged with serious violations of public safety due to improper construction work and were detained due to concerns of witness tampering and public nuisance.

RTS state broadcaster reported that Jelena Tanaskovic, former acting general director of the Serbian Railway Infrastructure, and another suspect were held under house arrest under electronic surveillance for three months.

Tanaskovic resigned following the accident.

Serbian authorities initially arrested 12 people, including Vesic, in connection with the roof collapse.

Vesic, who resigned three days after the incident took place, later denied being arrested and wrote on Facebook that he “voluntarily responded” to police.

The opposition welcomed the arrests.

Protesters are demanding the resignation of the prime minister and the mayor of Novi Sad and demanding that those responsible be prosecuted.

However, President Aleksandar Vucic said there would be no more political resignations.

In addition to Vesic and Tanaskovic, Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic, who served as construction minister between 2020 and 2022, also resigned.

Protesters and the opposition demanded that the government publish the contracts it signed with companies interested in renovating the station.

A consortium of four companies (China Rail International and China Communications Construction, Egis from France and Utiber from Hungary) took responsibility for the works.

The renovation was completed just a few weeks before the roof collapsed.

While 14 people, aged between 6 and 74, died at the scene, the 15th person died in hospital on Sunday.